Shade roller adjusting construction



May i6, 1933- l J. K. ToMLl-NsoN 1,909,540

SHADE ROLLER ADJUSTING CONSTRUCTION Original Filed April 7, 1930 2 Sheets--Sheerl 1 @295% l ffl/QM My 16,l 1933. 1 K, TOMLINSON 1,909,640

SHADE ROLLER ADJUSTING CONSTRUCTION Original Filed April '7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 zven n @M665 VQ' aM/IMM' Patented May 16, 1933 PATENT OFFICE JOHN K. TOMLINSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS SHADE ROLLER ADJUSTING CONSTRUCTION Application filed April 7, `1930, SerialrNo. 442,067. Renewed October 6, 1932.

This invention relates to an adjusting construction for simultaneously raising or lowering both ends of an object, such as a shade roller, although it may be used to raise or lower any other object desired.

More particularly this invention relates to a shade roller adjusting construction comprising a pair of vertical guide members and I a pair of carrying slid-es adapted to ride on l@ the vertical guide members. rlhe carrying slides are connected together by a pulley system, whereby movement of one slide which may be referred to as the control slide causes acorresponding movement in the same direction of the other slide. The control slide is provided with a double lock. One of the locks .serves to hold the slide in any position desired until manually released which consequently holds the otherl side in a cor 0 responding` position, and the other lock automatically locks the control slide if the other slide becomes stuck and so cannot be lowered by movement of the control slide.

The present invention is particularly suitable for use with the usual window shade which is carried on a roller. Ordinarily, the roller is fixed near the top of a window frame and is only capable of rotary movement. n Consequently, if it is desired to cut oil any C9 direct rays of light, such as the suns rays, particularly early or late in the day, `it is necessary to unroll the shade until a large part of the window is covered, thereby shut- W ting out a great proportion of the light as 3 well, it not being possible' to block the direct rays without covering a large part of the window. l/Vith the present invention by which the shade roller may be vertically moved, it is possible to lower the roller to any desired position and then unroll only enough of the .shade to out oi the direct light rays, leaving an open space above and below through which light may enter a room. V An object of this invention is to provide a shade roller adjusting construction whereby an object, such as a shade roller, may be easily raised or lowered by manipulation of a single ilexible member and maintained in a :o horizontal position during such an operation. A further object of this invention is to provide a shade roller adjusting construction in which movement of the control slide causes a corresponding movement in the same direction of the other slide.

A still further object is to provide a shade roller adjusting construction in which the control slide and thereby the other slide may be locked in any desired position and easily released when it is desired to move the shade or other object carried by the slides.

A still further object is to provide a shade roller adjusting construction in which the control slide automatically locks if the other slide becomes stuck, thus keeping the object to be raised or lowered in a horizontal .position at all times.

Further objects and advantages Will be apparent fromthe following description when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which latter:

Figure 1 is a front elevational View of a window with a construction embodying the present invention attached thereto and carrying a window shade;

Fig. 2 is a front plan View partially in sec- 75 tion of a construction embodying the present nvention with a window shade carried there- F i0'. 3 is a side elevational view of the guide member carrying the free running slide;

Fig'. l is a side elevational View of the other guide member with a rack carrying the control slide and showing the double locking means therein with the locking dogs in locked position;

Fig. 5 is a view vsimilar to Fig. 4, but showing the locking dogs disengaged from the rack;

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 6*(5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional View taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1l.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the construction showncomprises channel-shaped guide members l and 2 which 95 are adapted to be permanently secured to oposite sides of a window frame adjacent the top thereof. A pulley 3 is rotatably mounted at the top of the guide member 1 extending in a plane at right angles to the 100 plane of the guide member. A free running slide 4 having a slot 5a in the upper edge thereof for receiving one end oi a shade roller is adapted to ride in the channel-shaped member 1. rlfhe slide 4- has attached thereto a cable 5 by means of a block 6 with a groove therein being positioned over the cable and held in place by a screw 7. utwardly proj ecting portions 4a are provided in the sides of the slide 4 for engaging the overhanging channel portions of the guide member 1 and holding the slide in said guide member.

T he guide member 2 is provided with a rack 8 on one side thereof. A pulley 9 is rotatably mounted at the top end of the guide member 2 lying in a plane at right angles to the plane of the guide member 2. A control slide 10 having an opening 11a therein for receiving the other end of a shade roller is adapted to ride in the channel-shaped guide member 2. Outwardly projecting portions 10a are liliewise provided in the sides of the slide 10 for engaging the overhanging channel portions of the guide member 1 and holding the slide f' in said guide member. This control member is-provided with a double spring lock, the locking dogs 11 and 12 of which are adapted to engage the rack 8 when they are in locked position. Springs 13 and 14, respectively,

` serve to urge the locking dogs 11 and 12 into engagement with the rack 8. rlhe locking dog 11 is pivotally secured to the control slide 10 by a rivet 15 which passes through the upper central portion thereof and the locking dog y 12 pivotally mounted on the control slide 10 -by means of a rivet 15 which passes through the upper inside corner of said locking dog. Each of the channel-shaped guide members 1 and 2 is provided with end members 17 andA 18, respectively, formed of a single. piece of material doubled back on itself, which members serve to limit the downward movement of the slides 4 and 10. rl`hese end members 17 and 18 are riveted to the guide members 1 and 2, respectively, by means of rivets 19. rl`he end member 18 has a pulley 20 rotatably mounted therein in a plane parallel to the plane of the guide member'. The pulley block 9a on which the pulleys 9 and 24 are mounted is formed of one piece of material folded to embrace the pulleys 9 and 24 and the guide member 2 to which it is riveted. Y

rlhe slides 4 and l() carried by the guide members 1 and 2 are connected together by means of the pulleys 3, 9 and 20, as follows:

One end of the cable 5, which. may be of any flexible material, is secured to the slide 4, as above described. rrlliisalilc then passes up land over the pulley 3, across the top of vthe window, around the pulley 9, then down the channel-shaped guide member around the pulley 20 and back up to the control slide 10 where it is pivotally secured at 12a te the lower end of the locking dog 12 adjacent the outer side thereof, so that any pressure er erted on the cable 5 causes the loci-:ing dog 12 to pivot about the rivet 1G and thereby disengages the locking dog 12 from the rack 8. llfhen an object, such as a window shade, is fastened between the slides 4 and 10, the weight of the shade causes sufiicient tension on the cable to maintain the locking dog 12 disengaged from the rack 8. lf, however, the slide 4 becomes ammed or stuck, so that it is not urged downwardly by the weight of the shade when the control slide 10 is moved. downwardly, slack is formed in the cable relieving the tension on the outer', lower portion of the locking dog 12, and the same is then urged into engagement with the rack 8 by means of the spring 14 and is held thus by the spring' 14 until tension is again exerted through the cable 5.

A control member 21 is pivotally attached to the upper and inner corner of the locking dog 13 by means of a rivet or screw 22, so that if the control member 21 is pulled upwardly it will cause the locking dog 13 to pivot about the rivet 15 and thus disengage the locking dog 13 from the rack 8. The upper end of the control member 21 is clamped to one end of a control cable rlhis cable then passes up and over the pulley 24 which is rotatably mounted on the upper end of the guide member 2 and is mounted in a plane parallel to the plane of the guide member 2. filter passing over the pulley 24, the control cable 23 hangs down adjacent the side of the window frame.

The locking 4dog 11, when in a normal position, engages the rack 8 and will remain in this position until the outer end of the control cable is pulled downwardly, causing the locking dog 13 to pivot out of engagement with the rack 8. W ith the system of pulleys 3, 9 and 20, previously described, it is apparent that if the control slide 10 is moved upwardly, force is exerted on the end connected to the slide 4. thus causing it to be moved upwardly an equal distance. Theu the control slide 10 lowered slack is 'formed in the cable 5, and due to the weight of the shade supported by the slide 4 the latter is pulled downwardly by gravity a distance equal to the downward movement of the rontrol slide 10. The weight of the shade or other object carried by the slides 4 and 10 tends to urge the slides downwardly, which downward movement is prevented by the locking dog 11 being in engagement with the rack 8. ln order to lower the shade, sullicient force must be continuously exerted upon the outer end of the cable to disengage the locking dog 13 from the rack 8 and to hold it disengaged, but which force must be less than the downward pull due to the object carried by the slides which are then urged downwardly by gravity. During the lowering operation the tension on the cable 5 suliicient to prevent the locking dog 12 from engaging the rack 8. In order to raise the slides 4 and 10, it is merely necessary to pnll the outer end of the cable 23 with sullicient force to overcome the gravity of the slides and the object carried between them.

From the foregoing it is evident that l have provideda novel shade roller adjusting construction which may be very simply operated by merely exerting a varying amount of pressure to the outer end of the cable 23, depending upon whether it is desired to raise or lower the slides l and 10.

`While l have shown and described but one embodiment of the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope oi this invention and, therefore, l wish to be limited only by the scope of the prior art and the appended Claims.

I claim:

1. A shade roller adjusting construction comprising a pair of vertical guide members, a pair of shade roller carrying slides, one for each guide member, and means for causing said slides to travel up and down together and to maintain the shade roller substantially horizontal, comprising a latch carried by one of the slides and a flexible latch-releasing member connecting said latch with the other slide.

2. A shade roller adjusting construction comprising a pair oi vertical guide members, a pair of shade roller carrying slides, one for each guide member, and means for causing said slides to travel up and down together and to maintain the shade roller substantially horizontal, comprising a latch carried by one of the slides and a flexible latch releasing member connecting said latch with the other slide, a second latch carried by said latchcarrying slide and a flexible latch-releasing and shade-adjusting member connected with said second latch for operating it, whereby the shade roller carried by said slides may be raised and lowered by manipulation of the flexible shade adjusting member.

3. A shade roller adjusting construction comprising a pair of vertical channel-shaped guide members, a pair of shade roller carrying slides, one for each guide member, and means for causing said slides to travel up and down together and to maintain the shade roller substantially horizontal, comprising a latch carried by one of the slides and a tleXible latch-releasing member connecting said latch with the other slide.

l. A shade roller adjusting construction comprising a pair of vertical channel-shaped guide members, a pair of shade roller carrying slides, one for each guide member, and means for causing said slides to travel up and down together and to maintain the shade roller substantially horizontal, comprising a latch carried by one of the slides and a flexible latch-releasing member connecting said latch with the other slide, a second latch carried by said latch-carrying slide and a flexible latch-releasing and shade-adjusting member,A connected with said second latch for operating it, whereby the shade roller carried by said slides may be raised and lowered by manipulation of thel flexible shade adjusting member. K

5. A shade roller adjusting constructionv comprising a pair of vertical channel-shaped guide members, a pair of U-shaped shade roller carrying slides adapted to ride in said guide members, outwardly projecting pore tions on the sides of said slides for engaging the overhanging channel portions of the guide and holding said slides in said guide members, and means for causing said slides to travel up and down together and to maintain e the shade roller substantially horizontal, comprising a latch carried by one of the Y slides and a -flexible latch-releasing member connecting said latch with the other slide.

6. A shade roller adjusting constructionV comprising a pair of vertical channel-shaped guide members, a pair of U-shaped shade roller carrying slides adapted to ride in said guide members, outwardly projecting portions on the sides of said slides for engaging the overhanging channel portions of the guide and holding said slides in said guide members and means for causing said slides to travel up and down together and to maintain the shade roller substantially horizontal, comprising a latch carried by one of the slides and a flexible latch-releasing member connecting said latch with the other slide, a second latch carried by said latch carrying slide and a flexible latch-releasing and shadeadjusting member connected with said second latch for operating it, whereby the shade roller carried `by said slides may be raised and lowered 'by manipulation of the flexible shade-adjusting member.

7. A shade roller adjusting construction comprising a pair of vertical guide members, a rack associated with one of said guide members, a pair of shade roller carrying slides adapted to ride in said guide members, means for causing said slides to travel up and down together and to maintain the shade roller substantially horizontal, comprising a flexible member connecting said slides, a latch in one of said slides for engaging said rack, and means for operating said latch.

8. A shade roller adjusting construction comprising a pair of vertical guide members, a rack associated with one of said guide members, a pair of shade roller carrying slides adapted to ride in said guide members, means for causing said slides to travel up and down together and to maintain the shade roller substantially horizontal, a latch in one of said slides for engaging said rack and a solo fiexible latoh operating and shade-adjusting member connected to Said latch whereby the shade roller carried by said slides may be raised and lowered by manipulation of the fiexible shade-adjusting member.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN K. TOMLNSON. 

